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"Sabaku no Harem"

If you're anything like me, the name alone prompted an internal long-suffering "Oh great. =_= Harems in the desert. How "original". This sounds... fun."

But I encourage you to place yourself in an exotic desert mindset. At first glance of this manga, all you might see is plain, tiring, and unoriginal sand, but if you look just a little deeper instead you'll find a vibrant oasis of witty character interaction, spontaneous fun, and depth of thought. While the oasis of the desert might at first seem a lighthearted paradise, shadows do lurk at night.

Story: 7
The mangaka does a good job of creating spontaneous ... yet enjoyable subplots, all the while foreshadowing the bigger (yet at this point still relatively undetermined) picture. In somewhat typical shoujo fashion, sometimes the story can lack direction or resolve itself unrealistically, but overall things tend to balance out as decisions made in one arc often carry their consequences into the next. Rated 7/10 for overall enjoyment and plenty of "smile at the screen" moments.

Art: 9
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the art style of Sabaku no Harem. It's pretty. It's vivid. It's clean. I have difficulty getting past the ridiculously wide eyed, surprised faced, and stick-limbed shoujo girl style. I have even more trouble liking the shoujo guys, where their face literally seems to be two beady little eyes mounted on a piece of pizza (that's their face shape, seriously), all stacked on another larger, piece of pizza. Fortunately, Sabaku no Harem is neither. The style isn't terribly unique, but the art is well drawn, consistent, and conveys the characters nicely.

Character: 8
And now we get to the fun part. Mishe. Mishe isn't your average hapless, helpless shoujo heroine. Mishe is hardworking, resourceful, and intelligent. She's a three dimensional young lady facing unusual and trying circumstances all while trying to find and stay true to herself. It's made very clear early on that it's not easy being female in a historical time where men ruled everything. Want to be strong? Too bad. Want to be self governing? Too bad. Want to be influential? Too bad. Too bad that is, unless you follow the strict set of do's and don't's. Much to our delight, Mishe is not contented to sit back and let life happen. Instead, she games the system, and in the best of ways. I would rate 9/10 because of the gem that is Mishe, but Mr. Prince (Kallum) is just a little too manipulative and forceful at times for my tastes.

Enjoyment: 9
I obviously enjoyed this manga a lot. It was refreshing, entertaining, and actually addressed some deeper issues. Characters surprise. They struggle. And most of all, they made me smile :3 .

Overall, I rate this manga an 8 and would recommend it to anyone looking for some interesting character interaction, a lighthearted read interspersed with a little angst, and a strong female protagonist.

Sabaku no Harem is not perfect, but definitely worth a read. Don't judge this book by its cover.